Powerful Goal Setting.

The new year is well under way and as I write, the nations golfers will be preparing for the new season by cleaning the grips and the grooves of last years dirt and grime. Last years soggy mars bar wrappers will be emptied from the ball pockets.

Some of you may well be setting goals for the coming season.

If that be the case , it is important we set realistic goals and what are called "Moving toward" goals instead of "moving away from" goals.

Unrealistic goals are along the lines of a 25 handicapper wanting to be a category 1, single figure player by the end of the year or a 2 handicapper wanting to make the next Walker Cup Team.

So what are moving away from goals and moving toward goals and why is it important you get this?

A moving away from goal is when a player says , for instance, that "This year, I'm not going to 3 putt so much " or a wayward hitter says "I'm not going to knock it out of bounds on the 12 hole this year."

This kind of goal setting is dis-empowering as it is laced with "DO NOT" instruction.

Instead, you move use pro active, positive moving toward goals.

An example would be where the player sets about working on his long putting in order to hole more putts.

The errant player should simply set about applying a strategy that sees him keep it in play on hole 12 even if it means hitting an iron from the tee whilst in the background, he is tacking the issues the causes the wild shots that will see more shots flying into the fairway.

These small shifts in emphasis mobilize the parts of the brain that makes things happen.

Your subconscious is a computer and negative loaded statements with good intention do nothing to press the buttons that stop the problems occurring. Just wanting different results is not getting the result.

Don't think for a minute that the Top players don;t suffer the same problems. Great talents have been brought to heel for the very same reason.